The Midnight Club

by Love, Michelle

  But the mystery of the murders, of the attacks on both Sarah and Molly, remained and everyone was uneasy. It was better to know the enemy than for he or she to be hidden. Subtly, they had all become more vigilant, less trusting of strangers.

  But not today. Today was about love and family and joy. Isaac – her husband, she grinned to herself – came over and claimed her for their first dance. Never let me go, sang Florence and the Machine and as they danced, Sarah was never more sure that she was exactly where she was supposed to be.

  He watched them through the side window of the coffee house’s kitchen, the rage twisting in his gut. God, she looked radiant, glowing, every cliché of how a bride should look on her wedding day. Sarah, his Sarah, was now Sarah Quinn. She would not bear her new name long. He would make her pay for this betrayal.

  Later, Isaac went to find Sarah, finally locating her outside catching some evening air. He stood back for a moment, drinking her in. Her hair, which had been pulled up into a bun at the nape of her neck for the wedding, was escaping, long dark tendrils tumbling down her back. The simple white dress she had worn skimmed over her body, hugging her curves. Her face, eyes closed, was turned up to the night sky. Isaac smiled.

  “Hey, Mrs. Quinn,” he said softly, not wanting to startle her. She opened her eyes and turned towards him, a radiant smile on her beautiful face. He moved to her side and took her in his arms. She looked up at him.

  “We did it.”

  He grinned, nodding. “We really did.” He pressed his lips to hers, feeling her respond, pressing her body to his.

  “So, now are you going to tell me where you’re whisking me off to?”

  That had been his part of the low-key deal. She got the minimum fuss, he got to pick the honeymoon – and keep it a surprise. He shook his head.

  “You haven’t guessed yet?”

  She pretended to consider. “The wee Scottish Island of Auchtermuchty.”

  “Nope. Also, not an island.”

  “How do you know?”

  “I know things. Auchtermuchty is near Fife on the Scottish Mainland.”

  Sarah grumbled, muttering something that sounded a lot like “Damn, smart-ass Magellan.”

  He laughed and kissed her.

  “You’re amazing.” He murmured. She blushed.

  “You bet your sweet ass I am.” She joked, batting away his compliment. He laughed.

  “Okay, you wanna know where we’re going?”

  “Hell, yeah.”

  “Ok, so we’re going to…uh…oh no…” He pretended to choke, clutching his throat. “Can’t…get…words…out…”

  She skipped away from him in annoyance. “Oh ha ha. Jerkweed.” She flung her hair back and skittered away from him. He could see she was trying not to laugh as he pursued her into the back room of the coffee house.

  “Seriously,” he laughed. “Did you just “flounce”?” He started laughing in earnest and she tried to ignore him but failed, his mirth infectious.

  “Come on, Iss…please?” She wheedled and Isaac shook his head.

  “Nope.” He pushed her up against the wall, trapping her in the cage of his arms. She stuck her tongue out at him.

  “Double Jerkweed, with extra Jerkweed and Jerkweed sauce.”

  “Live with it, woman.” He grinned at her and she snickered, not able to keep the pretense up.

  “Jerkweed sprinkles.”

  He silenced her with his mouth, kissing her until she had to pull away and catch her breath. “Okay, I give in. Take me where you will.”

  “I’ll take you right up against this wall.”

  “Isaac Quinn – we have a roomful of guests out there.”

  “Spoilsport.”

  “Come on, let’s get back before you get me so hot, I can’t function.”

  Laughing, they went back to the party – never realizing Finn Jewell was sitting alone in the darkness of the back room, watching them, his eyes hooded and dark.

  Molly was in tears of course. She wrapped her arms around Sarah and sobbed. “I’m so happy for you, so, so happy.”

  Sarah chuckled, squeezing her friend, her sister, tightly. “I love you, Molly. Thank you for a perfect day.” She looked over at Isaac hugging his brother and smiled. Family. At last.

  Molly mumbled something into her shoulder and Sarah tickled her. “Yes, I mushyoufroo.”

  Molly stepped back, wiping her eyes and giggling. Sarah looked around. “Where’s your brother?”

  “Right here.” She turned and saw Finn leaning against the corner of the Varsity, watching them. She went over to him.

  “Hey.”

  “Hey. I guess this is goodbye – for a while, at least.” He gave her a wry smile and she took his hand.

  “Not for long. Two weeks is all. When I get back, we’ll have to talk about getting things moving on your house.”

  Finn lifted his chin towards Maika. “Lady says you’re going back to do your architectural degree. About damn time. Maybe you can design me a house and I’ll build it.”

  Sarah beamed at him. “You’ve got a deal.”

  Finn gazed at her for a long moment then, swiftly, pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly. “I want you to know,” he whispered, his lips next to her ear, “that I will always be there for you. I’ll always…damn it…” His voice broke and he released her, blinking the tears away. Sarah swallowed hard, smoothed an errant curl back from his ear, and made him look at her.

  “You know, right?” He said in a low voice and she nodded.

  “I know.” She leaned in and kissed his cheek. “Next lifetime, hey?”

  Finn balled his hands into fists but smiled at her. “Congratulations, baby.”

  Sarah couldn’t help the tears then, they dropped down her cheeks unchecked. “Why do I feel like this is goodbye?”

  Finn shook his head. “It’s not. I promised I’d be there. I won’t let you down again. Ever.”

  Sarah was still thinking about the conversation in the car on the way to SeaTac airport. Isaac was driving them, not wanting their privacy broken by a driver. He reached over and took her hand as the car slid smoothly out of the city.

  “Hey wifey,” he grinned at her. Sarah flushed with pleasure.

  “Hey, hubby. So you know what?”

  “What?”

  “I don’t even want to know where we’re going now. I want it to be a total surprise.”

  Isaac grinned. “Good.”

  “Won’t I find out at the airport?”

  “Nope. We’re taking my jet.”

  Sarah’s eyebrows shot up. “You have a jet? Of course, you have a jet,” she chided herself, grinning. She studied him. “I forget, you know, that you’re a billionaire. That word means nothing to me – I can’t fathom that much money.”

  Isaac smiled. “I don’t like to flash it around like some do but, this is a special occasion. Do you remember when I told you that sometimes I wanted to spoil you?”

  She nodded. “I do. And I have to say, I’m looking forward to it – on the proviso, of course, that you’re naked a good ninety percent of the time.”

  He considered. “I think I can agree to that.”

  “Are you flying the plane?” She was half joking, half serious.

  He laughed. “Sort of…I’m flying below it, holding it up, making sure my cape doesn’t get caught in the engines.”

  “Funny boy.” She laughed at his mock-indignation. “God, I love you so much.”

  “You are my world, beautiful.”

  At the airport, he drove straight onto the runway then held her hand as they boarded his jet. Sarah’s eyes were wide with astonishment at the luxurious airplane; the sumptuous leather seats each big enough for two people, the deep, soft carpeting. Isaac introduced Sarah to the captain and the flight attendant then they were left alone. Sarah kicked off her shoes while Isaac popped open a bottle of champagne. He handed her a flute as she curled up into one of the seats, moaning with pleasure at the luxury. He sat down next to
her, grinning. She peered at him over her glass.

  “You are enjoying this, aren’t you? Impressing me?”

  Isaac smiled and tapped her glass with his. “Of course. There are some perks to being me.”

  She giggled as he leaned over and fastened her seat belt. “Oops, sorry.”

  “Are you drunk already?”

  “I’m a lightweight – I had all that champagne at the reception.”

  Isaac shook his head, amused. “Did you eat anything?”

  Sarah squinted, trying to remember. “You know what? No, I didn’t. Why, have you got a sixteen-starred Michelin chef on board?”

  “Better. You’ll see.”

  She did. As soon as they were in the air, Isaac unbuckled and got up, going to what looked like a drinks cabinet. When he opened it, however, she could see steam rising from it and Isaac pulled out two very familiar looking boxes. She laughed when he flipped them, open, presenting the contents to her with a flourish. She grinned at him, her eyes shining.

  “Pizza! God, you are a genius.”

  “I know my woman,” he said rather smugly. “Another thing…there’s a bedroom in the back.”

  Sarah gave a cheer. “With a t.v.?”

  “I was kind of hoping for a different kind of entertainment but whatever you want.” Isaac was chuckling at her excitement. She got up and went to him, brushing her lips against his, looking up at him from beneath her eyelashes.

  “Pizza, t.v. and a bed on a plane…oh, you’ll be getting some tonight, mister. Take me to your bed.”

  Isaac handed her the pizza boxes. “Hold these.”

  “What - ?” Sarah shrieked with laughter as he swept her up into his arms and carried her to bed.

  Molly paid the babysitter and thanked her, waved her off as Mike brought the car around. Molly looked in on the kids. Dead to the world.

  Molly yawned and went into her own bedroom, stripping off her clothes and slipping into the shorts and t-shirt she wore to bed. She was tired but, she felt, today had erased some of the horrors of the past few months. Sarah was happy, safe. Married, Molly thought with a grin. Now if only she could find a way to make her brother happy. She hadn’t missed the heartbreak in Finn’s eyes today as the woman he loved married someone else. Did it make it worse that Finn genuinely liked and admired Isaac? Would it be better if he’d hated him as much as he’d loathed Dan Bailey?

  Dan Bailey. Amazing, she thought, you don’t see it at the time, the toxicity of some couples; the wrongness of their unions. Since Sarah had met with him, no-one else had heard anything from him; even Caroline had been flying under the radar, thank god.

  At ten-thirty, she heard the screech of tires and looked out of her bedroom window to Main Street. She saw Dan Bailey park outside the Varsity. For a moment, Molly’s heart pounded as she wondered if Caroline was with him. But Dan got out alone. She saw him stare into the window of the darkened coffee house. His demeanor was disturbing; he stood, ramrod straight, his back to Molly. Molly snuck downstairs and quietly opened the front door and stepped outside, watching him. Dan didn’t see her. Molly stepped away from the street light outside her home, out of the way so she couldn’t be spotted but where she could see Dan’s face. Suddenly she saw Nancy walking around the corner with her dog; she too had stopped and was watching Dan, her face a picture of astonishment. Molly looked back towards Sarah’s ex-husband.

  And her blood froze. Dan was screaming, his mouth wide, his face contorted with rage. Screaming without making a sound, screaming into the silence of the empty coffee house.

  Isaac smiled down at his wife as they approached the airport in Seattle. Her head was on his chest, her eyes closed, her breathing even and steady as she slept. It had been two weeks of utter bliss. He’d taken her to Paris for a week then down to the south of France for the remainder of their honeymoon. He’d known she wouldn’t have been happy just lazing around on a beach – instead, they visited places of interest, museums, galleries, landmarks. In St Tropez, the weather – hot and stifling – meant they spent a great deal of time in their air-conditioned hotel room, making love, and making plans for their future.

  The events of the past few months seemed a million miles away – they both felt untouchable now.

  Isaac stroked her silky hair and pushed away the thought that maybe, just maybe they were being too complacent. The lingering specter of their ex-spouses still haunted him. What the hell did they want?

  Hopefully, the wedding would have put paid to that nonsense. If money was what Clare wanted, she could have it, she could have every damn penny – he didn’t care, all he wanted was Sarah.

  Dan Bailey was a different pony altogether. He couldn’t blame him for wanting Sarah back but surely, now, he must realize that wasn’t going to happen. You gave her up when you left her, Isaac thought, his mouth setting in a grim line. Too bad, buddy, you lose.

  His cell phone beeped. A text from Molly. All set for tomorrow – she really has no idea?

  Isaac smiled. The surprise party he and Molly had planned for when they got back to the island; they’d cooked it up at the reception. Molly wanted to thank Sarah for giving her the coffee house.

  None. Thank you for organizing it, look forward to seeing you all.

  Sarah stirred and opened her eyes. She sat up and stretched, peeking out of the window. They were flying into a bright Seattle morning, and as the plane flew over Washington State, the sun glittered on the water of the Pacific, and the city came into view. Sarah grinned at Isaac, kissed him.

  “Did you sleep?”

  “Some. I’ll catch up at home, I never could sleep much on planes.”

  She stroked his face. “We’re home. It’s the start of our new life together.”

  Isaac nodded. “Yup sure is. I can’t wait.”

  Molly flipped the sign and unlocked the door to the coffee house. It was already hot outside, even this early, and she decided to open the huge windows of the building, let the air circulate. She didn’t see Dan follow her in and started violently when she turned and saw him behind her. He smiled at her.

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. Hello, Molly, it’s been a while.”

  She put a hand on her chest to still her frantically beating heart. “That’s an understatement. How are you, Daniel?”

  Her tone was hard but Dan grinned back at her guilelessly. “I’m good. A little sad – I hear Sarah got re-married.”

  Molly felt irritation snake through her. Fucking Caroline. “Yes, she did and for once, she is truly happy. Isaac is the perfect fit for her.”

  She knew she was being mean but she didn’t care. Now he was close, she was even more convinced that it had been Dan who attacked her here, in this very coffee shop. His presence, his build, his smell – her body reacted subconsciously, shrinking back from him. She surreptitiously glanced out of the window to make sure that other people were around; people she could call on if he attacked. To her dismay, there was no-one on the street outside the coffee house, no-one to come to her aid. Dan smiled at her, obviously enjoying her discomfort. Bastard.

  “May I please have an Americano, Molly? I remember you were always such a good barista.”

  It should have been a compliment, but in Dan’s flat tone, it sounded like an insult. Molly was determined not to let him get to her – at least not to show it. “Of course.”

  She switched on the machines and got to work, always hyper-aware of where he was.

  “Where did the billionaire take Sarah for their honeymoon?”

  “I don’t know, it was a surprise for Sarah.” And I wouldn’t tell you anyway. She handed him a steaming cup of coffee. Drink it and go, please. She faked a smile. “You’d know all about surprising Sarah, wouldn’t you?” Dan smirked but didn’t rise to her taunt. “So, Dan, are you going to live in Sarah’s house? She told me you wanted to buy her out of it. I assumed you wouldn’t want to live somewhere with so many sad memories.”

  Dan inclined his head. “I have a child on the wa
y, right here in Washington State, on this very island. I don’t run away from my responsibilities. Maybe you should ask yourself if Isaac Quinn is the same.”

  An incredulous bark of laughter escaped her then. “Are you kidding me?”

  Dan put a great show of being offended but she saw right through it. He’s enjoying this.

  “Molly, come on now. We were always such great friends.”

  “Were we?”

  “Yes, we were.” His tone had taken on a hard tone.

  She didn’t back off. “Right up until the point where you tried to kill my best friend?”

  His expression was sorrowful. “I heard I was the suspect in the attack. It’s ridiculous, Molly, why, I , why would I want to hurt Sarah?”

  She made a disgusted sound, her eyes sweeping over the coffee shop. They were alone. Dan followed her gaze and smirked. He stepped closer to her.

  “All I’ve ever wanted was to protect Sarah, to love her. To be there for her. And ever since I came back, everybody has tried to insinuate my motives are less than pure. Without any other reason than jealousy. I’m sure your brother was the one pouring poison into Sarah’s ears for the two years I was away.”

  “Away? Is that what you call it, you coward?”

  Dan’s eyes went dark with anger. “Just like your brother, full of hatred and jealousy. You always wanted Sarah and Finn to be together, I’m surprised you embraced Quinn so readily.”

  Molly walked around the counter and got in Dan’s face. “You are a scumbag, a bully, and a liar. Don’t come here and try to plead your case with me. And don’t try to intimidate me because you will never, ever, succeed. I’m not as nice as Sarah. She gave you far too many chances. You don’t get any more with me. Leave this island, Dan. Go far, far away and never come back.”